Major Dhyan Chand Could Have Been Honoured Without Insulting Sacrifice Of Rajiv Gandhi: Shiv Sena
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena, in its editorial mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, on Monday hit out at the Center for renaming the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award and alleged it was indulging in “political games” with ” revenge and malice.”
The Shiv Sena said an award already exists in the name of the hockey legend, adding that Major Dhyan Chand could have been honoured without insulting the “sacrifice” of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
“Major Dhyan Chand could have been honoured without insulting the sacrifice of Rajiv Gandhi. India has lost that tradition and culture. Today Dhyan Chand must be feeling the same,” the party said in the latest edition of Saamana.
The Shiv Sena said that at a time when the country is celebrating a “golden moment” in the field of sports due to India’s performance in the Tokyo Olympics, “the central government played a political game. Hearts of many people have been hurt by this political action.”
“Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award has been renamed as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award… So far many great sportspersons have been given this award. But it doesn’t seem that any of them would have said that there is no need for an award in the name of Rajiv Gandhi.”
The party questioned the government’s claim of a name change inspired by “public sentiment”. However, it said that it was pointless to dispute this claim as Congress had also indulged in similar politics during its tenure in power.
“Amit Shah says, conferring the country’s highest sporting honour Khel Ratna award in the name of the greatest sportsperson, Major Dhyan Chand, this is a real tribute to him. Everyone associated with the sports world must have swelled with pride. Shah’s statement is 100 per cent correct,” the party said.
“It is pointless to dispute what he said and did directly because in the last 70 years the Congress government has washed and cleaned whatever Nehru, Gandhi, Rao, Manmohan, Morarji, Deve Gowda, Gujral, Chandrashekhar did. If such a person has a role to play in running the national policy or state, then there is no use in banging his head,” it added.
Sena noted that the Indian hockey team won a medal in Tokyo Olympics after 41 years and it is a joy to the whole countrymen.
“This medal belongs to hockey and Major Dhyan Chand is considered the uncrowned king of hockey. Once upon a time, there was a golden age of hockey and Dhyan Chand was the hero of that golden age… The ‘Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award’ is given in his name. Dhyan Chand’s game had fascinated many,” said Saamana.
The party claimed that the previous governments did not forget Major Dhyanchand and said that ” erasing the name of Rajiv Gandhi, who made the supreme sacrifice for the country and putting the name of Major Dhyan Chand there, can not be considered great honour of Dhyan Chand.
(With ANI inputs)
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